1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trailer vehicles and more particularly to enclosures for utility trailers.
2. Description of Related Art
Utility trailers are vehicles which are typically coupled to trucks or cars and are used to transport various types of loads including automobiles and motorcycles. When transporting automobiles and motorcycles, it is desirable to have the trailer enclosed particularly when transporting vintage or classic vehicles. The enclosure will protect the transported vehicles from potentially harmful road debris as well as the weather, while providing security to minimize theft and vandalism.
Present day utility trailers, having protective enclosures, typically include a trailer bed disposed on a chassis having an undercarriage including an axle and wheels attached thereto. A hitch, for connecting the trailer to a towing vehicle, is attached to the front of the chassis. The protective enclosure is typically a box-like structure covering the trailer bed and secured to the chassis. The box-like structure consists of two side walls, a front wall, and a roof. The rear of the enclosure is usually formed by a door or doors which permit access to the interior of the enclosure.
To transport an automobile in one of the present day enclosed utility trailers, the rear door is opened and the automobile is driven, pushed or winched into the enclosure and secured to the trailer bed. Since the utility trailer is usually not much bigger that the automobile being transported, the person driving the vehicle onto the trailer exits the automobile with some difficulty due to the confined space within the enclosure. This confined space also makes it difficult to move around the automobile as required to secure it to the trailer for transport.
Therefore it is desirable to have a utility trailer which affords the protective benefit of an enclosure while enabling freedom of movement around the contents to be transported.
A utility trailer comprising a base frame having wheels attached thereto and a cap. The cap is moveable between a first position in sealing engagement with the base frame, wherein the cap forms a sealed enclosure for protecting contents loaded onto the base frame, and a second position vertically displaced from the first position to facilitate loading and unloading of the contents as well as to permit access to loaded contents from substantially any location around the perimeter of the trailer.